Family of missing Evansville girl in awe of volunteers

A volunteer traveled from Carmi, IL to help search for Aleah on the Ohio River near Henderson.

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -

Thursday marks five days since 19-year-old Aleah Beckerle disappeared from her Evansville home over the weekend.

Thursday was also the third consecutive day for Aleah's family and volunteers searching the area. This time, organizers switched gears from covering the northeast side of Evansville, to sending volunteers down to Henderson, Kentucky.

"We're really on a mission to check rivers, ponds, lakes, wooded areas because it's been so many days we have to consider that," said Brittany Burton, one of the search organizers. "We've checked the majority of the urban areas over and over and over again."

The family is now asking anyone with boats and canoes to look up and down the Ohio River around the twin bridges.

The first person to volunteer his kayak reached out to Aleah's family Thursday morning. Traveling all the way from Carmi, Illinois, he says learning about Aleah's disappearance really hit home.

"I planned on kayaking today, but seeing that they were asking for volunteers that would be kayaking that could help, so I thought I'd do more with my day and come this way instead," the volunteer said. "It's just amazing to be a part of this community where other people do like I am to come out and help, and I just wanted to do my part, and I'm glad I can be here. It's just, special needs kinda touched home."

Aleah's family members were in all Thursday morning after receiving an anonymous donation from an Evansville business. The donation pushed Aleah's reward from $1,000 to $2,500.

Volunteers tell 14 News they'll continue to search through the weekend, meeting at St. Joseph Catholic School every morning at 10.